


Angel of Mine

by GendryaTonksWhitlock



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26715202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GendryaTonksWhitlock/pseuds/GendryaTonksWhitlock
Summary: Gendry searches for clues about the where abouts of his sister who disappeared more than 5 years ago. A letter he gets during a move gives him the desperate idea that if he finds his high school ex-girlfriend, she may have an idea about what happened to Myrcella, they were best friends after all. According to the police she had already been questioned, but he knew they hardly bothered. What Gendry didn’t expect was to meet a little girl with black hair and blue eyes who would turn his world around.The name comes from the song Angel of Mine by Evanescense.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Myrcella Baratheon/Trystane Martell
Comments: 19
Kudos: 80





	1. looking for my ex

**Author's Note:**

> Hi... 
> 
> Here we go...
> 
> Thank you very much for supporting this story just with the summary. And especially to those who volunteered to help me, I really appreciate it.
> 
> And a huge thanks to @Laauuurra1 for agreeing to be my beta.
> 
> And to @Gendryalatinoamerica on insta, who also offered me his help as soon as I told him about the project, go and follow her, upload great content from our ship.

Chapter 1

Gendry looks determinedly at the brick building that stands in front him, it is not a bad neighborhood but the property had clearly seen better days. He runs his hand through his hair, adjusts his suit and walks across the street. The building has an intercom next to the front door that doesn't seem to work, this is nothing like where he expected to find Arya; her family was well off, they would never let their little girl live in such a place.

The door is open and he ventures inside, the building has no elevator so he takes the stairs to the third and final floor. It's the only apartment on the floor, number 3-00. He takes a deep breath and can't avoid reliving the past, not knowing how welcoming Arya will be to him after how things ended between them.

_* Five years earlier*_

_-YOU CAN'T BE FUCKING SERIOUS! - Arya yelled, getting out of the car and slamming the door, they were parked in their usual spot a few streets from her house to say goodbye properly, without the scrutinizing looks of her parents. He thought it was the best time to tell her about the decision he had made and prayed she would understand._

_-I have to do it darling, I owe it to my father, and to Joffrey- Gendry says, climbing out as well and walking around the car to where she's propped against the door, arms crossed and breathing deeply in anger._

_-You don't owe them shit and you know it- she is no longer screaming at least, but her voice is pure poison._

_-Ok, maybe not to them, but definitely to my mother- Arya snorts at the mention of his mother and he feels his heart break a little, but continues- she has always been there for me, I have to prepare to take care of the company before my dad ruins it._

_Arya looks at him with a mixture of feelings that scares him, he knows her and knows that of everything he sees in her eyes at this moment the most dangerous is disappointment._

_-How about you? Don’t you owe it to yourself to be happy? What you want for your life, doesn't it matter? - she says, uncrossing her arms with her shoulders slumped and her gaze hurt- What about us?_

_Gendry sighs defeated, he knows that she wants the best for him, but he must do what is best for his family. He takes her by the arms and caresses her up and down, trying to calm her._

_-I can't be selfish in this Arry, my family needs me, my dad is a promiscuous drunk who will lead us to ruin, my brother died, mom doesn't even know what the company does._

_-You know that she is manipulating you to do what she wants, she does not want us together, she has never wanted us together- affirms Arya vehemently. But Gendry knows that while it is true, Arya is also trying to manipulate him._

_-I'm tired of this war between my mother and you, hell you guys got along until we started dating- he almost yelled._

_-Until she felt that because of me you were no longer hiding under her skirt- she says with a certain mockery in his voice. -You weren’t going to be Mom's obedient child if you joined me, the eternal rebel-_

_Gendry can feel the blood boiling in his veins, Arya can be very hurtful when she wants._

_-You know what? This discussion doesn’t make any sense, get in the car. I’m taking you home, we can talk calmly tomorrow, rationally - he says opening the passenger door._

_-THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE, YOU’RE LEAVING ME- she yells, closing the door tightly again- How can we study at Universities so far apart and continue to be together?_

_-Distance relationships work Arya- he says exasperated- We just have to trust ourselves and know that what we feel is strong enough._

_-You know that will only hurt us. Sooner or later you’re going to meet a beautiful girl and want to fuck and I won’t be there, but she will and..._

_-You don't trust how I feel about you?- He asks with a broken voice._

_-I don't trust your cock that loves sex- she says stubbornly and he hates that she is so basic, that she doesn't believe that his feeling for her are strong and true._

_-Then you're right, the long-distance relationship is not an option- he says in a hollow voice -Get in the car, I'll take you home._

_-Is that all?- She says as he walks to the driver's side._

_-WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?- He yells over the roof of the car. -That I’m going to do what you want? That I’m going to go to college with you? I can't Arya, I can't do that._

_She looks at him, eyes flooded with unshed tears, but with a fierceness that makes his hair stand on end and excites him almost to the point of irrationality._

_-Then go Gendry, I don't want anything to do with a cowardly mommy's boy- she says forcefully, deciding she can't take it anymore._

_-As you wish, you capricious little princess- he says by way of farewell._

_He gets in his car and leaves her there, alone, a few blocks from his house. He looks at her in the rearview mirror and sees how she hugs herself as she watches him drive away._

_He takes out his cell phone and dials Jon, Arya's cousin who he knows is visiting, tells him not to ask questions, just where to get her._

The Gendry back in the present takes a deep breath, summoning courage before knocking on the door. A couple of minutes go by without any response so he knocks again.

The door swings open while he is mid-knock, so his fist is raised when she appears on the other side of the door, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. She is dressed in sweatpants and a wide T-shirt that has slipped off one of her shoulders, revealing the strap of a sports bra underneath. Her face without a drop of makeup - the reality of her raw beauty strikes him, the one that always attracted him.

She stares at him, her gray eyes widen in surprise as she recognizes him, his mouth opens to speak but he suddenly finds he’s forgotten what he had planned to say.

-Is it Trys?- Asks a small voice behind her.

When Gendry looks down he is left truly speechless, the air leaves his chest and he feels his heart stop. A little girl, shiny black hair in two uneven ponytails at the sides of her head. Wide eyes, the same blue as the ones he looks at in the mirror everyday, stare back at him for a few seconds before Arya reacts and hides her.

-Sunny darling, go to your room and don't come out until I tell you- He hears Arya say as she looks at him in defiance, his heart skips a beat as he hears the small steps away.

Gendry calculates the years in his mind and freezes when he realizes that the girl must be about 4 years old. His stomach shrinks at the possibility ... Is she his daughter?


	2. half explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We know a little more about the past of both together and together with Gendry we try to understand Arya's present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you very much for your support, I was really moved by the reception that the story has had.  
> And again thanks to my beta @ Laauuurra1 for putting her grammar magic on my messy English.

Chapter 2

_*Five years ago*_

_It’s his graduation, but he’s only attending out of obligation, he and Arya had made so many plans for today, but they’re no longer together, which made the whole day particularly bitter. He looks for her every few seconds throughout the whole presentation. He spends every moment feeling as if he’s dying. Just the sight of her happy, surrounded by friends and family leaves him miserable, but also so proud. She is two years younger than him, yet graduating at the same time. How could he not be happy for her? She was a child prodigy who took every advanced class avaliable, and finally it had paid off._

_There is no force in the world that could convince him to attend the prom, not without her. His sister Myrcella begged him to go, she was invited by a classmate, but he flatly refused, he wasn’t going to attend that shit without Arya. Instead he meets some friends, just to have a drink. The little gathering turned into a kind of after-party prom; when he sees Arya arrive, wearing a green dress with thin straps that cross at the top of her back, left almost totally exposed by the low neckline of the dress. His mind imagines lowering the straps of her shoulders and watching the soft fabric slide down her body, without thinking he follows her around the house, at a considerable distance. She is in social mode, talking to girls, flirting with guys, igniting his jealousy._

_Later into the night, and after a few more beers, she turns to look at him over her shoulder while she dances. There he realizes that she’s been aware of his eyes watching her the whole time._

_He takes the look as an invitation to get closer to her, when he is only a short distance away she leaves the dance floor, but turns once more on his shoulder and he begins to follow her, drawn like a moth is to the light._

_She goes upstairs and enters a room, Gendry follows her as if hypnotized. When he enters the room everything is dark, only her silhouette is visible against the slither of light that enters through the window. He thinks they’re in an office, because he can almost make out a desk and a sofa on one side of the room, he closes the door and waits, not attempting to go further into the room until she tells him why she’s brought him here._

_-You know? I don't remember our last kiss- she says softly without turning around and he feels the sadness in her voice._

_-It was only a simple brush of our lips before getting in the car that night- he says hoarsely, because he has thought about it a lot, with this he approaches and is directly behind her, but he does not dare to touch her._

_-Yes, I know ... but a proper kiss, the kind that left us breathless, it must have been that morning, but I'm not sure. - she turns and looks him directly in the eyes- and sex ... - she says with a sigh that makes Gendry's blood go to his crotch- Our last time together was so… awkward and bumpy._

_-In the back seat of my car, we had gotten used to more comfortable places and it wasn't our best performance- he says, embarrassed at the memory._

_-I want one last memorable time in a good way Gendry, I want one last kiss that makes me stupid, I want us to end it together tonight, as we had planned, I want you- raising her hands to his chest, her eyes pleading._

_-I don't want it to be the last time- he says sincerely, taking her hands in his and stopping her caresses._

_-We both know that it has to be like that, we want different things, we have different goals ... it is better not to string-out something that will only make us suffer ... It's like ripping off a band-aid, it is better at once and not to prolong the pain- Gendry knows that she has a point, but he loves her; letting her go is the last thing he wants._

_-But… - She interrupts as he begins to speak._

_-Please Gendry, tonight I don't want to argue, I just want you to make love to me- she says, and he stops trying to argue._

_His hands release hers and his own fingers gently run over the skin of his arms up to his shoulders, while her hands travel from his chest to his neck, inserting one in his hair and using her grip to propel herself up to his lips._

_He lowers his head and kisses her, first with some despair, like a thirsty man in the desert, desperate to taste the water. But little by little the intensity of the kiss decreases, exploring her mouth with his tongue, tasting it, trying to record this moment in his memory above the influence of alcohol. His hands travel from her shoulders to her bare back, his fingers tripping over the crossed straps of the dress while hers have traveled under his shirt. Her nails rake down his back just the way he likes it, and when she moves to try to remove her shirt, he stops her by moving away, nearly causing her to lose her balance._

_-What's wrong? She asks, slightly disoriented._

_-Wait… I want to do something, first you- he stares at her when he approaches her again- since I saw you in this dress I imagined doing this- he whispers as his fingers separate the straps from her shoulders gently and effectively as he imagined. The cloth gives way and runs down her body fluidly once she lowers her arms, revealing she only has a little thong under her dress. He finds there is something exciting about her standing in front of him, dressed only in her thong and heels while he remains fully clothed._

_-You’re a pervert- she says with a soft smile in false reproach, but she advances towards him again._

_She grabs the edge of his shirt and lifts it, as he reaches out to help her take it off. He kisses her and takes her in his arms while she wraps her legs around his waist._

_That night they make love a couple more times, they don't talk much, just their bodies taking what they want, until Gendry falls asleep on the couch. When he wakes up, daylight has begun to come through the window, and she’s already gone._

-Gendry Baratheon ... this is a real surprise- The Arya of the present greets him with a voice full of cynicism.

-Is it really a surprise, Arya Stark?- He asked sarcastically. -Because apparently you've been hiding something from me-

She looks at him defiantly, but she doesn’t say anything. He takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself… he knows the best way to get something from her is by keeping calm.

-I'm sorry Arya ... really the reason for my visit was something different but that ... -He says pointing to where he saw the girl- she has taken me by surprise and I think that now we have two different reasons to speak.

He sees her shifting her weight from one foot to the other and watching him with doubt ...

-Aren't you going to let me in? Or do we have to talk in the hall? - He asks, trying to sound nice, despite the anger inside almost winning out.

She looks over her shoulder and he sees her coming up with all kinds of plans in her head.

-I need a moment before I let you past- she finally tells him.

-Don't even think I'll lose sight of you in the next few moments- he says with confidence.

She takes a deep breath and opens the door to the apartment as wide as it will go, quickly running inside. He slowly follows her, closing the door behind him, while she darts around collecting framed photographs in her arms, expertly moving between toys and the common clutter that seems to come with having a small child.

-I have to make sure she's distracted, wait a second here-she says before opening a door in the hallway, allowing a glimpse into a yellow-toned room.

-Don't be long, or I'll follow you in- he warns against the closed door. It gives him a bit of anxiety to lose sight of her, but he doesn't think she can escape through a window on the third floor.

While she is away, he takes advantage of seeing the few photographs that she left. She is in all of them, but there’s a special one that catches his attention. He assumes that it is from Arya’s university graduation, the girl in her arms is only a little smaller than the one he just saw, and he tries to memorise the little girl's features, her nose and joyous expression reminds him so much of his lost sister Myrcella that he has no doubt that she is his daughter. Leaving him to wonder what she may be hiding in the photographs that she intentionally did not let him see.

He hears a whisper from the back of the apartment and knows that it must have come from the girl's room. As quietly as possible he tiptoes towards the noise, and manages to capture something...

-What should I do? He's here and he saw Sunny- she says desperately and from the silence she assumes he's on the phone -you can bet he believes that.-

-I'm not going to lie to him!- She whisper-yells, obviously anguished and annoyed- I told you this would happen sooner or later- another silence- You should come. Now- it sounds conciliatory.

-Ok, I’m warning you that I don't know how easy it’ll be, don't worry I'll keep my promise but I'm not going to lie to him- he hears her defeated sigh and he decides to return to the room quickly, just a couple of minutes later she emerges and offers him a cup of coffee.

He pretends to continue looking at the photos she left.

-It's very beautiful- he says pointing to the photo where she is with the girl -You called her Sunny? - he says intrigued.

-Nickname for Sunshine- she answers with a nostalgic smile when looking at the photo- Why are you here? - She asks and he surmises she wants to take control of the conversation.

She points to the other side of the couch as she sits on one end, her own cup of coffee nestled in her hands.

-Is she okay?- He asks once seated.

-Who?- She replies apprehensively.

-The girl- he says with an obvious tone and wondering who else he could be referring to.

-Oh yeah- she says and he can hear the relief in her voice. -She's falling asleep, it was time for her nap-

Gendry nods his head before speaking again.

-So ... do I have to ask or don't you think to tell me what is more than obvious to me?- He says before taking a drink of his coffee.

-I know what you're thinking- she says looking into his eyes- Do really you think I would hide something like that from you?

-I didn't think so, but she… she is Baratheon in every rule, she has my eyes, my hair… but her face… her face is Myrcella- he says a little amazed- And I don't know her age, but she can’t be more than 4 years and that last night ...

He thinks back to his graduation night, the last time he and Arya were together. Seeing as she smiles a little behind the cup, she’s remembering every detail just like him.

-A good memory- she says -but she's not your daughter- she says softly.

He looks at her, looking for the lie in her eyes and although everything indicates that she is deceiving him, he remembers the conversation he had just eavesdropped on. She said she wouldn’t lie to him, so that could only mean that she had been with someone else. Of course she was free to do so, but he knew that girl was a Baratheon. He didn’t even want to think about her with one of the many half brothers his dad had left scattered around. Was that what she was hiding in the photos? Could she be dating or _married_ to a brother he didn’t know existed.

No, Arya for some reason is lying to him ... that girl is his daughter and he will find out anyway and she will pay for the lie.

-I believe you- he says after a few moments, lying. She looks at him intrigued.

-Really? Just like that? Without asking me for an explanation?- She says, placing her cup of coffee on the table in front of the sofa.

-I want explanations, I feel I’m entitled to ask for them. I want to believe that you would never lie to me about something like this, much less keep my daughter from me for so long, knowing everything about my dad and all his bastards. But I know she has Baratheon blood, I can feel it in my bones, and if she’s not my daughter then which Baratheon’s is she? - he throws those affirmations like daggers but Arya refuses to react.

-You’ll know ... sooner than we had thought but you _will_ know, in the meantime... What were you coming for? Why did you find me? - she asks him curiously.

-Don’t try to change the subject, explain to me how Sunshine is not my daughter- he says calmly but his tone is cold.

She looks at him warily, seeing a side of Gendry that she never knew existed, this is something he learned after Arya.

It takes forever until she responds evasively.

-Is it that hard to believe I’ve slept with other men? - she says with evident challenge- I can have any man I want. -

-No Arya, that's not the problem. Damn! Tell me how old that girl is, you can deny it all you want, she has to be old enough to be my daughter. If I am right and you’re not lying to me when you say she isn’t mine, then you slept with a fucking man from my family when we were still together! - He says exasperated, raising his voice.

She jumps off the couch, her face just as fierce as he remembers from their worst fights.

-May I remind you that girl is sleeping in the next room, so fights and bad words are forbidden in this house- she screeches, pointing at him with one finger and muttering- I'm going to ask you to leave from my house and come back when you can speak like a rational adult- she stands up before him pointing at the door.

-I’m not going anywhere- he says, standing up. Trying to assert his dominance he hopes the way he is towering over her is unnerving.

-Then I'll have to call the police to get you out of here in handcuffs- she says crossing her arms, causing her breasts to rise, he can’t help but look. When he looks back to her face she is glaring with an arched brow -Do you really want that to be her first impression of you?

After saying her piece her temper seems to cool down, she sighs wearily.

-Look, Gendry- she says calmly, before turning around and walking towards the photo shelf- I understand that seeing her affected you, when I returned to this city and brought her with me, I decided I wasn’t going to hide her anymore. I knew and hoped that you could meet her in due course, but I never expected you to spring up on me like this. We only moved back to King's Landing a month ago, believe me when I tell you that I am not leaving, not when she’s finally adjusting to life here.

-I know you Arya, I know you're hiding something from me- he says walking towards her, not attempting to touch her, almost like a repetition of their last night together.

-These are secrets that are not mine to tell, I promise I don't want to lie to you- she turns and faces him, her voice remains soft.

He continues to doubt her but he knows Arya, when she is done with a conversation there is no force that will make her speak, so he decides to let the waters calm down. He will find out everything he can and will come back determined to be told the truth.

-You win, I'll go, but I’m coming back tomorrow, and I want to meet her- he says pointing to the door the girl lays behind. -Whether she’s my daughter or not, she has my blood.

She nods absently with a slight smile.

-It will help you to know her, she is the embodiment of her name, a sun that shines, and it seems that your life has been nothing but darkness lately- Arya's words freeze him.

-You don't know anything about what my life has been like since you left- he forces out, in a hard voice as he storms to the door. He opens it and walks out, leaving her staring as he descends the stairs.

One last glance shows her standing in the same place that left her with her arms crossed, blankly gazing through him.

The moment he leaves the building he calls the investigator who located Arya. Originally Gendry didn’t want to know anything more than the address, just wanted to catch up as old friends do, but now everything had changed. All because of one little girl.


	3. is she my daughter or not?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the past we see a bit of Gendry's bond with his siblings.  
> In the present, Gendry meets with Arya and she finally tells him some truths!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I bring you a new chapter, I think I can keep up with the update every 15 days if work allows me. Because first I write in Spanish and then I translate in my poor english and then my wonderful beta @Laauuurra1 puts his British magic in the chapter (Thanks Lau) and that's where I can update ...  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 3

_17 years ago…_

_Little 7 year-old Gendry learned the hard way how cruel children can be, and sometimes it doesn't matter if they carry the same blood._

_At school he was rejected by his own younger brother. Joffrey was with other children playing at recess, he was going to ask him if he changed his fruits for his sandwich, but instead heard him making fun of him._

_-Gendry is a fool- says the petulant voice of his brother- Always behind me like a dog, Mom always tells us that he almost died when he was a baby, I wish he had died, so I would be the oldest and Dad’s heir._

_-You only say that because you’re jealous of him- responds the angry voice of Myrcella, his sister and Joffrey's twin._

_-Envy that fool?- Says his brother irritably._

_-Yes, because he looks like dad and you don't, because he is kind and good and people love him more than you- she says with greater understanding than her soon-to-be 5 years should._

_An annoyed Joffrey lunges at his sister violently and Gendry immediately decides it's time to come out of hiding._

_Both brothers end up with bumps and bruises, but Gendry's heart ached more from the cruel words of a child he adored and protected. From that day on, his relationship with his brother was fractured and the one with his sister blossomed. They became closer than ever. Appreciating her bravery in defending him, he promised himself that he would be his sister's eternal protector._

_That was Gendry's first fight with his brother, the first of many to come. He always thought the best of his brother, but over the years Joffrey showed him again and again that he had grown up to be all the more cruel._

*

The morning after his meeting with Arya, he has the envelope with the information obtained by the investigator on his desk. It had been prepared since he first entrusted him with the task, but he had not wanted to look.

Gendry looks at the envelope as if it would explode at any moment. The night before he could not sleep, intrigued and confused by the idea that this little girl could be his daughter, but also all the other possibilities. She could be his niece, if the father was some half-brother of his, it could also be his cousin, although that was far less likely. Uncle Stannis was uptight, Gendry he doubted he would even sleep with his wife, and uncle Renly he was so gay that Gendry thinks the sight of a vagina would make him vomit. Lastly, she could also be his sister, his father scattered children around the world up until the day of his death a year ago, but if it was her father, what was Arya's role in that scenario? He refused to believe that Arya was sleeping with his father.

Take a deep breath and decide that instead of making assumptions it is better to know everything at once, so he grabbed the envelope and revealed the contents.

The first thing he sees is Arya’s entire academic record from the University of Bravos back to their high school. Her good grades stood out, but the most noticeable part was the gap year following her first semester, along with a complete career switch from Engineering Civil to Social Work upon her return.

The following paper was Sunshine Stark's birth certificate, the mother's box said Arya Stark and the father's was blank, the date marked approximately eight months from the last time they saw each other, and during her mysterious disappearance from university..

The investigator's report also showed the bankruptcy of the company led by Ned Stark, and copies of the death certificates of her father and mother in an accident when the girl was barely 3 months old. The file stated her siblings divided what little they had left, explaining the run-down apartment in the old building where she’s living..

The rest of the papers didn’t tell him anything else about Arya, she was not married, she lived in Braavos until she moved back to King's Landing a month ago, and since she had the girl, she had no known partners. The investigator concluded that the friends she had at the university were few and far between, and didn’t want to share anything.

Gendry sighs in frustration, throws the papers onto the desk, before getting up and turning his back to the office; choosing instead to look distractedly out the window. The report didn’t help him conclude whether Sunshine was his daughter, but it gave him the certainty she was not his sister or his cousin. At least, he did not believe that Arya was capable of sleeping with such close relatives of his, although he had not believed her capable of hiding a child from him, so who knows what other secrets she had kept?

The door to his office opens without warning and he moves quickly to hide the papers of the report, only his mother ever enters his office without knocking.

-My child leaves my house and forgets that he has a mother- is the greeting that Cersei Lannister-Baratheon gives him.

Gendry rolls his eyes at the words and comes around the desk to reach her.

-Mother- he murmurs before kissing her on the cheek and directing her to the sofa across the room. -Don't exaggerate-

-You went two days without calling, and you know how nervous it makes me not to hear from you- says her mother with an authoritative voice.

-I know, I'm sorry ... - he murmurs- the move has been crazy- he says as an excuse.

-An unnecessary madness- says his mother and he prepares to stand firm before the talk that follows- The family house is so big and it is so lonely without you and Tommen ... you are the only thing I have left- she ends with a voice dramatic.

-I couldn't stay there mom- and he decides to be crude with her- I need to have sex and with my mother in a few doors it didn't feel right.

She snorts and gets up from the couch, pacing the office.

-The house is so big that I don't hear…- she breaks off while looking at the desk.

For a few moments Gendry had forgotten the report, but he really doesn't want her to know that she probably has a granddaughter.

-Arya Stark? Gendry, are you investigating that girl? - She says holding up a paper and Gendry internally curses himself.

-She's a woman now and it's none of your business what I do- he says rudely, snatching the paper from her hands. Feeling relieved that she only saw part of Arya's academic progress he collected the rest, making sure that Sunshine's birth certificate was hidden.

He wanted to know the whole truth first before telling his mother.

-I just recently thought that Myrcella and her were very close, and maybe she had contacted her recently or something like that- he says to soften his previous tone and can see the pain in his mother's eyes when mentioning his sister.

Cersei nods absently.

-And does she know something?- She asks in a broken voice.

-I haven't talked to her yet- he lies blatantly- I asked the researcher I hired to find Myrcella to find out everything about her, but apparently she has been studying everything but Myrcella the past few years- he says fluently.

-Are you going to look for her?- The expression on her face is unreadable and Gendry can't tell what's going on in her head.

-I don't lose anything by asking if Myrcella has ever contacted her- he says carefully.

His mother just purses her lips and says nothing more, after that, she deflects the conversation to more amiable grounds and he takes her out to lunch.

A few hours later, after dropping off his mother at her house, he decides it's time to go back to Arya's house and find out what Sunshine's story is.

When arriving at the building he thinks of Arya with the baby in her arms, her bankrupt family and her father, the greatest hero for her dead, now her apartment made more sense, he would make sure that neither of them lacked anything from this moment.

While knocking on the door he finds his heart pounding in his chest. It would be stupid not to admit he was afraid, he doesn’t know what reasons led to Arya hiding her daughter from him. He didn’t want to reproach her, but if she continued to lie to him he would find it hard to see her in the same light, but he didn't want to hate her.

When Arya opens the door this time, she is dressed more for the street, wide jeans at the hips, white sports shoes and a white T-shirt close to the torso, revealing her flat abdomen to the navel, her hair down, and wearing makeup.

-Hi- she greets him, taking him out of his reverie.

-Hi- he responds, coming back to himself -How are you? - is the only thing his mind can articulate.

-Good- she answers with a mysterious smile- Still here as promised- He nods absently.

She invites him in and he watches as she organized all the mess she had yesterday.

-I thought I'd have you knocking on the door at 5 in the morning- she says, walking along the living room.- I’ll go and make some coffee, I only just got home from work-

-I figured you were working- he says, following her - Where's Sunshine?- Gendry asks looking around for the girl.

-She is with some friends in the park near here- Arya answers enigmatically as she puts the coffee maker in operation, he sits on one of the high benches of the counter- I was just about to call them to bring her back, excuse me.

She takes the cell phone from the counter and makes a call, she does not leave the room and only says a couple of sentences, among which she highlights "he's already here"

-They'll be here in a few minutes- she informs him, leaving her cell phone and takes the jug out of the coffee pot to serve in the cups arranged on the counter- You're very quiet

-I’m wondering your reasons for lying to me and hiding my daughter- he says before taking a drink from her cup.

She takes a deep breath and sits on the other high bench at the counter.

-She is _not_ your daughter Gendry- she says with conviction, looking into his eyes.

-How is it that she was born exactly 8 months after we last saw each other? That's what the birth certificate says - claims Gendry

-You have her birth certificate?- She asks and he doesn't know if she's angry or impressed.

-I find you through the investigator I hired to try to get Myrcella, I thought you might know something about her- he explains calmly- Yesterday when I came, I didn’t want to know anything more than your address, I just wanted to catch up with you, like old friends- she nods in understanding- But yesterday I felt you were lying to me about her and I wanted to know more, the investigator had everything.

-And what else did that report say?- She says cautiously.

-Your studies, the situation of your family and what happened- he answers with a frown- Is there something in your life that you don't want me to know? I don't forget that yesterday you hid some photos so that I wouldn't see them.

-That was not the time for you to find out- she says desperately.

-Find out what?

-That she’s with me- Arya says with a broken voice, looking him straight in the eyes.

Gendry looks as if a short circuit hit his brain, he thinks he knows what she means, but wants to be sure.

-What… what do you mean? - he says disoriented

-Myrcella- she says simply -has been with me for the past year or so.

-Where is she?- He asks, getting up from his chair, ready to tear through the apartment if necessary.

-Calm down, she will be here in a few minutes- Arya tries to reassure him by getting up from her chair too and following him into the living room.

-I don't understand- Gendry turns to her confused -She got in touch with you and not with me, her own brother… - He makes the claim with bitterness edged with nerves.

-That you’ll have to ask her - she says, gently leading him to the sofa where he falls heavily- I just have to warn you, she’s not the same Myrcella she used to be- the sadness in her voice alerts him, and he fears what could have happened to make her leave her family -You can't hug her or even touch her without her making the first move- this alerts him and he frowns in confusion.

-But…- he hesitates.

-Gendry, please ... promise me, it’s really important you don’t freak her out.-

-It's important…- Gendry says hoarsely.

-Yes, very important, and I promise that you will know the whole truth- she says looking into his eyes seriously.

-I promise- he says after a long sigh. -And I'll know the truth about my daughter and my sister- he nods towards her, looking into her eyes, waiting for her assent.

She looks back at him and twists her mouth into biting the inside of her cheek, a habit he knew meant she was going to say something she didn’t want to admit..

-Sunshine is not your daughter, because she is not mine. Well, at least not biologically ... she’s Myrcella’s

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters will be short to adapt to the language little by little.
> 
> Whether you liked it or not ... all comments are appreciated.


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